What a delightful day trip my kids and I had to Nikko with Michael! Of the several guides we had in Japan, he was hands down the best. Besides his incredible knowledge of Japanese history, language and culture, he was great with our particular group. As a middle-aged mom traveling alone with my 15yo, 12yo, 6yo boys, I appreciated Michael’s ability to genuinely interact with all of us. He was supportive of my oldest practicing Japanese and accommodated my middle son’s love of trains by switching up those we rode. My youngest son was challenging as he was obsessed with a dying dragonfly he found near the ticket entrance. He didn’t want to follow the route; struggled to listen or engage with the shrine tour and walk; and desperately wanted to check on the insect. Michael remained calm, helped juggle the kids without any fuss, and brought the creature along for some of the tour. Michael took great pictures for mom’s memory book and delivered all of our tickets neatly at the day’s end for a sweet souvenir package. Kids and I loved hearing about Michael’s experience living in Japan and bridging the culture for us westerners. A huge thank you to Michael for adjusting the schedule without stress, he just knew what to do. Truly a gift. And what a magical place! We loved Nikko and for mom it was a highlight of our eleven-day trip. If we ever make it back to Japan, we will seek out another tour experience with Michael.
